Give Employees Opportunities to Show Their Potential
4 min
All of your employees deserve a chance to take on stretch tasks.
Here’s why you should offer stretch tasks to everyone on your team:
It’s the only way you actually know who has potential
Many people wait to give stretch tasks to people who are already identified as high-potential. But really, stretch tasks are opportunities to demonstrate potential.
Think of stretch tasks as experiments. They allow you to observe your employees in situations where they have to stretch and learn. You can’t know if someone has potential until you see them in action.
If you “offer up” stretch tasks, the same people will always take them
If you only give stretch tasks to people who ask for them, you’re going to be biased toward outspoken, outgoing people. Giving everyone a stretch task ensures you give people who may initially seem quiet or reserved a chance to show their potential.
It mitigates unconscious bias
If you give everyone a chance to show their potential, you can be reasonably sure you aren’t overlooking people based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc.
Time for a quiz.
Raphael has a few strategic tasks that he wants his “star” employee to take on. What’s a reason he should offer those tasks to the other members of his team as well?
Quiz 1 of 1
What’s a reason Raphael should offer those tasks to the other members of his team as well?
a
It will help him evaluate everyone’s potential.
b
It’s only fair that everyone on his team gets a chance to try something.
c
He is obligated by national discrimination laws to give everyone stretch tasks.
d
It lightens the load for his star employee.
The correct answer is A: It will help him evaluate everyone’s potential.
Raphael shouldn’t be evaluating potential until he’s given everyone a chance to demonstrate potential. One of the best ways to do that is by giving people stretch tasks.
Consider:
Who on your team hasn’t been given a stretch task? Have you already made assumptions about their potential without giving them a chance to show it?
Give Employees Opportunities to Show Their Potential Video Transcript